Grameen Bank ('Bank of the Villages', derived from the name 'gram' meaning 'village' or 'rural') is a community development bank founded in 1983 by Muhammad Yunus providing small loans, or microcredit (aka grameencredit), at low interest rate to poor people without requiring any guarantees to secure the loan (e.g. property).

The bank loans out money to the poor with a group overlooking their investment and providing guidance to avoid unnecessary waste - a concept known as 'solidarity lending'.

Timeline of major events during awarding of Nobel Peace Prize to Grameen Bank and Muhammad Yunus in 2006